30" tires and power, Aerostar springs

[coronan]

I remember reading over on TVP that folks fitted 30" tires with some fender mods.

I'm curious how much power was lost?
What was the RPM change?

I'm currently on 27"s that need to be replaced soon. Debating getting 15" rims for more size options.

thoughts from the experienced?

Thanks!

[gushaman]

I just got 5 tracker 15s. Trying to decide on tires. Did you upgrade your rims or just replace tires. If so what size. Also what brand and model. I am lookong at ta ko, some kumhos, some grabbers...... i prefer a very stiff sidewall. Amd sonce i got the 15s there are more size options, such as

[coronan]

I got tracker rims.
About 10,000 miles now. No cracks.
I wanted to get general grabbers again but they we're not available in 30". I was crushed. They grabbed every thing.

I got talked into a version of good year wranglers. 225-75-15s. It took some fender well hammering and welding to fit them. Mostly the foot well needs to be moved forward with out affecting the door seal.
I get a little rubbing occasionally on a bump.
They are not noisy. They have not seen a lot of dirt or snow time yet.
Side wall is much stiffer than the grabbers. The front is the van is heavy. With the wranglers there is almost no bulge. I think they are 6 ply.

Torque is down a little but on the hwy I think all the rotating mass is like a bigger fly wheel. Once everything is spinning on the hwy power it's normal.

[Cadin]

Any pics?

[coronan]

Starting in the rear: No sheet metal work. But i am running Ford Aerostar van springs and Tacoma Bisten HD shocks.
Approx 2" lift.

2089

View of the Front. No mud flaps. Light pounding on the rear heater guard.
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Behind the front tire.
2091

Infront of the tire. From the Tires perspective. This is the tricky part. Pay attention to the area that makes the door seal. If you get crazy with the hammer you will push the metal out so the door does not close with out slamming it.

The metal in this contains a lot of crimped and sandwiched sheet metal. When I started beating on the sheet metal separates. Which is OK. If an area i wanted to move was not moving I cut it with the grinder. If an area was moving that I did not want to: I tacked it with the welder. ( LIKE THE DOOR SEAL area) The sandwiched metal works out quite well because you can fold it over the open gaps that are created.

This probably makes no sense but hopefully it will help someone once they start the process.

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Another view of in front of the tire. I trimmed about 3/8 of material off the fender because it pushed out and affected the door closing.

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Finally I notched the door about 1/2 inch.

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I painted it white and took it for a spin. Missing paint told me where the rubbing is.

To finish i welded caulked and painted.

[Cadin]

Wonderful, Thanks! Bilstein HD's are certainly the way to go, they are stiff so they work well with softer springs, and they just get better as time goes on! (They might ride a little tight for 6-7000 miles, and then they hit the sweet spot.) Do you have any problems with the slider door?

[coronan]

With tracker rims: Nothing hits the slider door.

I tried F150 rims (same bolt pattern as the van) but they hang out much wider. My slider door hit the rim with out a tire on it.
F150 Rims are a dime a dozen and definitely load rated.

Its not impossible to make the slider swing wider. Josh Hennen did it to Death Metal. I was not interested in the time suck.
Josh told me if he had to do it again he would make the slider swing up. Ala Star Trek Shuttle Craft Style.

[Cadin]

Right on, good to know! The shuttle style hatch sounds sweet, and would certainly be better than a draw-bridge! :thmbup:

[originalkwyjibo]

You could always do this too:http://www.delica.ca/forum/l300-stretch-updates-8918-165.html Scroll down a few posts for pics:)

[Cadin]

Wow, that is a Freaka-Delica! Wonderful, I love the 6x6!

And then I saw this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLMY3CeI0js&list=PL960F2B3CBE92664F

What do you think the mpg is? Looks like 4-wheel steering as well...

[rowemjr]

Coronan,

I'm trying to get that 2" in the rear. Do the Aerostar springs fit in with no mods and give 2" lift or do you still need to use the mr. gasket spacers. Any idea what year springs will work or what year yours are? And are the Bilstein shocks you used part #48530-A9680 ? Thanks

[coronan]

The problem with Spacers is they DO NOT gain more wheel travel need for off road.

I'm running the aero star springs with no mods to the van. I may have had to trim the top or bottom the spring to fit it to the bucket.
If you want I can take pictures, Installed. It was at lease 4 year ago. The process is fuzzy.

I have about 12 in wheel travel in the rear.

[rowemjr]

Pictures would be much appreciated. I'd like to avoid the spacer on the bottom or both if possible. The aerostar spring sounds like the perfect solution. I just wanted to make sure i get the correct year for fitment unless they are all the same. A quick search pulls up all kinds for around $50 and most say they fit for an aerostar 86-97. So I assume if i found any year aerostar at the junkyard it would probably fit the toyota van.

Also the shock # 48530-A9680 will fit with no modifications? Is this correct?

[coronan]

Ford Aerostar Van Springs Installed 5 years ago.

If i remember right they bolt into the top of the frame rail on an Aero Star. These bolts were horribly rusted and took a lot of fighting in the yard. Take a long 1/2 ratchet and oil, If your going to pull your own. Wire brush the threads. Accessable by removing some interior paneling inside the back.

I cut off that part because the diameter reduces.

1. Looking over the tire
2127

2. Looking from underneath

2128
2129

Full cycle of the each wheel is about 12" limited by the shock on droop.
If I moved the shock mount up 1" I could get a little more.

They have treated me well especially on trips to the Rubicon and Lippincott pass, Death Valley.

[djshimon]

Are you using the Tacoma Bilstein HD's for the front shocks too Coronan?

[coronan]

No the cop car shocks. Motorcraft pn ASH1

96-2001 ford crown vic with POLICE SUSPENSION
http://www.toyotavanpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7572&hilit=+shocks#p55467
You see the front of the van only has 4" of travel. :wall:

[djshimon]

I noticed that the front is definitely not as high as the back on your van- Is that with your custom torsion bars too(from the 4runner)? Are they cranked? Are they bouncy bouncy? I'm using the Durango's from that Tvt thread that Rawb was very emphatic about, and I am not so impressed. I still haven't checked my torsion bars, but after I do(if they're not cranked all the way), I'm going back to my old gabby's that came with the van. Funny thing is someone on here just got new Toyota 4wd shocks, at least that's what I understood from his post. http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1731-Need-new-front-shocks-87-4wd&highlight=shocks
I'll ask him what he thinks of them.

[coronan]

The back is high because of the Aerostar springs. (~ 2" lift) Loaded up for the weekend the back will come down about an inch.

My goal with the 4runner torsion bars was to improve ride quality. Not gain lift.
My stock t bars were preloaded to the point they were maxed out. (you know it when you crank them some more but ride height does not increase. They are actually stretching.) Rebound was horrible. It would buck me out of my seat if I drove over a curb or large bump.

So when I switched to the 4runner t bars I measured ride before the swap and set it up the same ride height. 18.5" hub to fender. Ride quality is much, much more enjoyable. The motorcraft shocks allow 1 gentle bounce like an off road suspension should . And my stuff doesn't get thrown off the dash any more. If ya know what I mean?

Here is the write up:
http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?2173-4-runner-torsion-bar-MOD&p=12805&viewfull=1#post12805

Approx 60,000 mi on the shocks, and they are still good.

Some day I will get around to fabbing a 2" lift for the front. So i can fit a 4runner diff with aussie locker.

I'd like to see someone install dual shocks on each side in the front. I'll bet it would improve the logging truck bounce, everyone speaks of. There is room in there.

[djshimon]

Very cool, thanks for the info. Dual shocks sound great.

[FCDRIFT]

Also the shock # 48530-A9680 will fit with no modifications? Is this correct?


was this the correct part number for the shock you used? i read this thread a couple times and i dont think you confirmed it. also, any modification to the shock to fit out vans?

thanks in advance!

[coronan]

Here are my notes:



Motorcraft pn ASH1
96-2001 ford crown vic with POLICE SUSPENSION
http://www.toyotavanpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7572&hilit=+shocks#p55467








I remember a slight modification. But not requiring much more than a drill. (sorry, i cant be more specific. It was 6 years ago.)

[AD2101]

was this the correct part number for the shock you used? i read this thread a couple times and i dont think you confirmed it. also, any modification to the shock to fit out vans?

These will work perfectly for the rear of the van. I'm running these on my van right now, the shocks themselves don't require any modification but they are longer and as a result you will need to either buy some coil spring boosters or put in longer rear springs for everything to work right. I went the coil spring booster route and it worked out fine but if I had to do it over again I would have found some longer rear coil springs. I believe it's mentioned in this thread that Ford Aerostar coil springs fit the bill but I'm not sure.

As far as front shocks go, the Motorcraft ones seem to be either discontinued or superseded by a new part # that I don't know of, I threw KYB KG5458 shocks on the mine and love them, much better than the awful and completely blown out Monroes that were on it. They require a bit of modification to get them to work though. Here's how I did it, I'll copy and paste part of the old TVP post since NEC put it much better than I could.


If anyone is looking into the KYB shocks, I did some research for you. It turns out that the steel sleeve/mount bracket in the lower mount on these is fused to the rubber bushing and will not press out of the bushing. You can still press the centers out of the shocks, it just takes the whole bushing with it. If you want to properly adapt these KYB shocks for our vans use Energy suspension PN 9.8107 (around $4 a pair) bushing and 5/8" OD DOM 16 gage tube (or your orig. shock center sleeves, torched out of the rubber). The bushing is only a hair wider than the Toyota shock sleeve, and will have to be finished to fit in the clevis. I suggest a bench grinder but a hacksaw, knife, anything will do to cut these down.

Some links that will help:

Coil Sping Booster (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000932O6G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Front Shocks (http://www.amazon.com/KYB-KG5458-Gas-a-Just-Monotube-Shock/dp/B000C42S04/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1432135211&sr=1-1&keywords=kg5458)

Modified bushing for front shocks (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CN9D3K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

The rear shocks if I remember correctly are cheapest at the Toyota dealership.

Hope it helps!

[FCDRIFT]

Thanks guys!

thanks for all the useful info! ended up ordering the kyb off amazon as suggested. one question tho, in the picture it does not come with a dust boot, does it come with one? and if it doesnt, did you guys have any issues running it without?

[AD2101]

They don't come with boots, which is a bummer. I tried to buy these locally (I didn't think to order them online with my purchase of the shocks themselves), and everyone at the major auto part stores looked at me like I had no idea what I was talking about, which happens frequently with these vans :dizzy:

I'm running mine without boots as a result and I have no real concerns, but if I had a time machine to take me back to 10 days ago when I ordered the shocks I would have ordered some universal boots off of Amazon as well.

[Danny]

Hi Guys,

I've been trying to find the original thread regarding the details of lifting the rear with spring spacers, but can't seem to find it for some reason. Looking to raise the rear of my 87 4wd TV about an inch. Can someone please link me? Much appreciated!:rol:

[89TownAce]

Hi Guys,

I've been trying to find the original thread regarding the details of lifting the rear with spring spacers, but can't seem to find it for some reason. Looking to raise the rear of my 87 4wd TV about an inch. Can someone please link me? Much appreciated!:rol:

I just know the spacer used was a Mr. Gasket 1285 and if you use it combined with the OEM spacer you'll get around 1.5" of lift. You have to make a bracket to raise your rear brake bias valve accordingly. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000932O6G/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=SAMNDJNYD8CY&coliid=I1EWUX5IL7KOV6

[Danny]

Got it, and thanks for the tip! 1285 worked perfectly.


I just know the spacer used was a Mr. Gasket 1285 and if you use it combined with the OEM spacer you'll get around 1.5" of lift. You have to make a bracket to raise your rear brake bias valve accordingly. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000932O6G/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=SAMNDJNYD8CY&coliid=I1EWUX5IL7KOV6

[toyota30]

I bought some 215-75-15 Ohtsu All Terrain tires. They are awesome and at $298 for 4 with free shipping from ebay they were a no brainer for me. The best part of the tires is they are MADE IN JAPAN! Going to be making some rear spacers and doing the 2" lift very soon. Purchased new kyb shocks and bilstienlifts.com shock extensions.

[rowemjr]

Does anyone have some input on whether or not the MOOG CC841 coil springs will fit my 89 4wd van. Rock auto lists them as replacements for the aerostar van. i took some rough measurements of my stocks springs and it seems like they will give it 2 inches of lift in the rear. Just wanted to see if anyone had experience with these or if the specs look right. Thanks

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=201320&cc=1105063&jsn=666



Bar Diameter - Inches
0.53


End Type 1
Pigtail


End Type 2
Pigtail


Free Height - Inches
18.69


ID - Inches
4.30


Installation Height - Inches
14.00


Load - lbs
482.00


Spring Rate - lbs per inch
101.00


Spring Type
Variable Rate

[djshimon]

I did the Aerostar springs(Moog CC845 Rear Variable Rate Coil Springs (New) (http://www.ebay.com/itm/162057922842?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)) and the Tacoma bilstein shock mods and I like it...but a few notes.
I ordered the springs new off ebay because it was 10 bucks more to have them delivered than go pull used springs from the junk yard myself-who would've thought used springs were at a premium!
There are three types(that I found) for the Aerostar that are cc845,cc841, cc850. The inner diameter are between 4.07" and 4.3"- Which seems almost 1" smaller than the van springs-see picture. I could barely fit it in the upper spring holder.
Also the springs were pretty long I had to cut a couple of the coils off to get it in-then I cut one too much:doh:! It still raised the van a good amount that I'm pleased with but I'll have to figure out a way(weld a piece back on or get another new spring or add a mr. gasket to the originals) to make the pair identical in size.
The Shocks fit great!
Two questions-
1. Why raise the brake bias? I haven't noticed a difference in breaking but I do value safety...
2. Do I need an alignment after this?
Thanks, Aaron.
P.s. the van with the spring mod is on the left. Right has a mr. gasket extender.

[coronan]

The brake proportioning valve senses the distance / angle of the rear axel to the body. If the distance shortens it assumes more weight has been added to the rear and increases brake application. If you lift the rear (ie: increase the distance) it inhibits the function of the proportioning valve. Brakes are important. Its a sin like increasing horse power with out increasing stopping power.

Ever since I went to 30" tires my braking has been less desirable. Especially on long mountain descents. (20% grade)

3912

[djshimon]

So if my tires are 27" which is <1" bigger than the original tires I shouldn't need to raise it much? The body is higher but the axle shouldn't be much higher?
I see this post is about 30" tires... Maybe I start a new one?

[coronan]

Here is what I came up with.

Adjustable up to 3.5" lift. And I marked the stock location.
3924

Keep an eye on my other thread regarding braking.
http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?561-Front-brake-upgrades

[micah202]

.


...so the idea is to raise the proportioning valve the same amount as you raise the back end?

[timsrv]

.


...so the idea is to raise the proportioning valve the same amount as you raise the back end?

It's explained in detail HERE (http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?127-Load-Sensing-Proportioning-Valve-and-Bypass-Valve)

[djshimon]

Thanks Tim. Bottom of the first page of that thread is what Micah and i were needing.

[ingmire]

Thinking through my van lift. Interested in using the Aerostar springs.
Can anyone tell me how much I need to trim the springs? Or any info on the installation process?

thanks!

[LightBlueToy]

I am also curious if people are able to use the van spring insulators with the Aerostar springs. I am trying to decide between getting Moog CC845 and cutting them or getting the daystar spring boosters

[spacecruisers]

i have the moog aerostar springs and cut the top 2 coils IIRC. I would do one and see if its still to long then cut one more coil just to be safe. i borrowed my neighbors angle grinder and he actually cut one a hair too short but we were fortunately able to make it work. Im not using any spring insulators since paper thin OEM ones were toast so its metal to metal which isn't ideal but it hasn't presented any problems since i did it about 6 months ago. Highly recommend this mod over spacers as you get the greater travel and its not really any harder all you need is an angle grinder or something to cut the spring with. the lift height is perfect for my 215/75/15 tires (sidekick wheels) and the tacoma bilstein shocks. nice ride too.

[spacecruisers]

fitting 30" tires will require significant modification to the suspension, as well as cutting up the floor pan and door/frame. i just met a new user on here, VanCo, last night and he showed me his rig which had 30" hankook dynapro tires. it was amazing.you could ask him about it if you're interested. however, the work he put into getting the lift and room for those tires was....well....lets just say significant. i think 215/75/15 with the longer springs and cranked torsions up front is a pretty good setup but i may be biased :)>:

[LightBlueToy]

Oh yeah definitely, im only trying to fit 205/75/15's, mmmayybe 215. I was just referencing the title of that thread where coronan talks about the aerostar springs.

Can't wait for vanco to release some more knowledge nuggets on modding the vans.

[wbradley]

To those who have Aerostar springs, how do you like them? How's their firmness?

[spacecruisers]

To those who have Aerostar springs, how do you like them? How's their firmness?

i have them and they're great. no complaints so far. They do feel a little firmer than the previous ones but I actually like it better than OEM personally, and they perform much better off road and give more travel than using spacers. fully loaded with camping gear the van doesn't seem to sag noticeably.

[coronan]

Rear Shocks:
Toyota / Blisten TRD Tacoma 48530-A9680

[VanCo]

I have run 28 to 30 inch tires for 12 years on my Van. About a year ago I got tired (pun haha) of the front rubbing so I made my final modification, cut the hell out of the door and floor pan, to make my Hankook Dynapro Mt's fit. When I made the modification I went big. I can probably fit 33's in the front now. Only problem is the 30's bottom out on the door now. If I went with a bigger tire I would need more suspension lift.

For the lift, I cut the spring perch off the rear and fabricated some 3 inch blocks to raise the perch. This way I was able to maintain the factory ride in the rear. For years I ran 27 inch skyjacker shocks. They would allow the axle to drop to the point the spring would just start to get loose. Recently I just replaced the skyjackers with some fox shocks my brother gave me. I lost about an inch of drop, but now the spring doesn't get loose on the perch. Plus, the fox shocks ride so much better.

In the front I cranked the torsions to match the rear. At first I hated the ride. There was no downward travel and every pothole felt like it would pop the dash into my lap. To fix this I cut the downward bump stop off and relocated it about two inches lower. I then bought a big poly bump stop for a jeep axle and replaced the factory tiny rubber one. I cut the poly bump stop to give about a quarter inch before the CV would bind on full drop out. To allow for the added need for shock travel I cut the top of the shock tower off and raised it a few inches using 2x4x1/4 steel. I now run a longer skyjacker shock.

For the front I did remove the rear AC stuff to cut the wheel well behind the tire on the passenger side. If you have the airbox in on the driver's side 30's will rub it. With the turbo I was able to relocate the air box. Basically, there is a lot of sheet metal cutting, but it can be done and look good.

Oh, for the rear sway bar I did have to fabricate extended links, but the sway bar broke in half in death valley 7 years ago and I have run without one since then. I have a replacement, but the difference it makes without one is negligible. I did also make a 3 inch extension bracket for the brake proportioning valve. I just barely did that, so I drove 12 years with a 3 inch lift without it. There is a noticeable difference in braking, with vs without the extension bracket.

I have been running the lift like this the entire 12 years I have owned this van. It has been great, with no excessive wear due to the lift itself. Any wear has been due to my driving habits.

6857

6858

6859

6860

6861

6862

6863

[spacecruisers]

I have seen this van in person and its every bit as amazing as it sounds. the level of effort and attention to detail is astounding. He should get an award for this - oh wait - he did! :rol:

[VanCo]

Hey thanks man! :)

[ingmire]

I installed mr gasket spacers about 18 months ago. Van looked great! until recently. The rear end recently started sagging and rear tires are pretty much inside the wheel well :( I have added 300- 400 lbs of cargo to the van. Which I've been carrying for the past month.

Today I pulled some Aerostar springs from the junkyard. They were considerably longer than the original yota coils. I cut off just enough of the spring top and bottom for them to fit the Toyota 'mounts'.

After the installation was finished the vans rear lift was identical. Saggy :(

Could it be my original springs 'went bad' and I installed a set of bad springs from the junk yard?

Or am I missing something?

Also my van was rear ended badly 18 months ago😞. The body damage on the rear passenger side seems to be getting worse with time. Could this play a part in the rear sag?

Thanks! Look forward to getting her sitting level again. I still have another 150lbs of cargo I need to add

Also how do insert pictures with my message?

[outlawmws]

Trying this in this older thread:

So I've seen several people that have used the Aerostar springs, and invariably they say they cut 2-3 coils off (gradually)


I seem to recall also people saying the small end bits were the first to go. Makes sense if needed to fit!


My question is this for those that had used the Aerostar springs: The Aerostar coils are Dual rate springs, meaning they have a soft section for a nice ride and a stiffer section for heavy loads . Are you cutting the well spaced (I believe that is the soft side) coils, or the tight coils? are you counting the tight cutoffs?


I went with the CC841's (still waiting for the Bilstien's to get here) as those are softer (should be better off road) and 18.69 inches free height, vs the CC845's I see most using, and at 20" I won't be cutting as much off.


I didn't see the need for the 616# Load rating when I'm going to be empty or lightly loaded most of the time even when camping. If I go for a week, or with more people I tow a trailer (so finding or adapting a receiver hitch is high on my list), and that takes the bulk of the weight, so the 482# load rating should be fine for my use.

[outlawmws]

So last weekend I finally got enough dry weather to do the lift on the new to me Project van. This allowed me to do the taller 215/75R15;s on some Samurai rims.

This is My take on the Aerostar lift, but I did NOT use the commonly used CC845's. I used the CC841's instead (new from Moog)

Why? lets look at the specs:


8782

The 41's are 18 " tall the 45's are 20 - Everyone cuts about 3 coils off - I'm not sure which end, and that matters as these are dual rate springs. If installed with the tight coils up as per the directions for an Aerostar, its the tight coils as that goes up and the coil needs to be fully open without a pigtail The bottom needs part of the pigtaii left.

I only cut the partial Pig tail on the bottom, then the full pig tail and one more coil off the top.

The full load rates are 482 for the 41;s and 616, for the 45's
The Spring rate "per inch" is 101 for both BUT these are dual rate... so either the extra 2" in height adds the 128 lbs, or the spring get stronger as they compress, BUT if 3 coils are chopped by others, then they must be close to my finished height?

In any case, softer springs are better for articulation, so I went with the 41's and only took 1 full coil off (not sure if others count the pigtail...)

This is what I needed left for the bottom Pig tail for best fit in the bottom:

8783

And what was left after the cutting:

8784

Other than that it was a pretty conventional remove and replace. I took the shocks off and that made more space for getting the springs out, then back in, and I did not need spring compressors to remove, but did for installation (taller spring, Someone mentioned you could disconnect a link and get more drop and do without the compressors, but I elected not to)

I reused the stock spring pads, one probably needed replaced but it's in now. I'll keep an eye on it and replace if needed. If I do I may look at a smaller upper "cup" as the Aerostar springs ARE also a bit smaller in diameter.

This was eyeballing the new tires after the lift. It did come up about 2" or so. I could probably have lived with leaving that one full coil in other than needing more compression to install (or dropping the link as mentioned)

8785

And how it sits after the lift with the old "rollerskate" wheels, but Aerostar springs and Toyota/Bilstiens from a Tacoma:

8786

About 4 hours all told for this part of the job.



The following Sunday I did the tires:

Tire day was a LONG day; I had to remove a wheel from the Donor sami, dismount the tire (all the old tires went to a neighbor that converted then to raised planters), Prep and paint the rim, replace with the "roller skate" wheels, and do the next...


So some time spent "watching paint dry" -Not really, lots of other things needed done...


On the front I had to trim a corner of the door as expected, and then beat the body corner to match, as well as hammer a seam flange flat and make some space in the back. I got by with less than others have that have done this and I still haven't jacked the front torsion bars up.


Roller skate wheels off!

8787


All the tire dismounting and mounting was done manually.

8788


Painting the rims:

8789

Ready to seat the bead:

8790


As soon as my ancient Compressor comes up to pressure - Made this ages ago from parts, the little one lunger is WAY too small for this monster...


8791




The Tire Balancer I use:

8792

So I went from this:

8794


To this - I still haven't cranked the Torsion bars, probably needs about an inch? - The PO MAY have done a little as the roller skate wheels were hitting, (and the deep dish mags prevented the side door from opening - All fixed now!:

8793

I also need to install the Gabriel shocks up front.

[bikerjosh]

Nice job. Any pics of the front door trimming and hammer massaging to the front? Still have my 15” Suzuki wheels waiting for the final color coats and need to order new tires.
thanks

[outlawmws]

Getting back to this - I'm NOT happy that the mods arbitrarily moved my thread start for a nice clean "How to lift the Toy van" into this thread. (When so many other "lift" threads have been left alone)

Josh I didn't take pics of the hammer Forming, but I need to do a little more and make some adjustments to the front suspension so its a better ride, so I'l get some then

The purpose of this post is a cleaner way to fix the rear brake Load sensor for the lift. There is an adjustable part of it, it's simply not long enough. so I made an extension for THAT part, rather than the bracket, and it does the job just fine!

Pic is worth a thousand words but it took a threaded coupler, and a cut off section of a suitable metric bot and it was done! I can still adjust it as needed (and I used maybe 1/4" of that to get a full 2")

9020

[GonzaloM]

Can I lift a 1984 Van with this way?

[outlawmws]

As long as you also have the torsion bars for the front on the earlier 2WD, I don't see why not?

[outlawmws]

Nice job. Any pics of the front door trimming and hammer massaging to the front? Still have my 15” Suzuki wheels waiting for the final color coats and need to order new tires.
thanks


Hi Josh, Sorry for the late reply here.

I actually had to come back and trim a bit more and much higher. Mostly on the door.

Here is a pic, and its was a combination of pounding on the lower edge to flatten the actual wheel well edge/corner (I used a 2 LB Engineers drilling hammer - you NEED the weight), and trimming the door edge back to match. You can see how high I cut compared to the door trim piece. This was because I was still barely hitting on deep compression of the suspension in front. I Took it hunting and it was clearing for most everything then if just barely... (I think it barely kissed 2X and I wasn't' being very gentle..)

9799

This was with Ohtsu AT 4000 215/75 R15 tires. Other makes the same size may not fit the same...

If I had to choose a better fitting tire size, I would go with 215/70 R15 tires. Why?

2 reasons:


almost 1/2" more clearance on the radius, so less trimming or more clearance.
Lowers the gearing a tiny bit. With the Auto, and no Low range, the steep hills at a crawl were difficult... (One hill I had to make three running stabs to get back up.. and that was a MUST DO to get back out...)



The calculated difference in diameter is about 1/2" - 26.85" for the 70's; 27.7" for the 75's (again YMMV on a different brand)

These actually MEASURE about 27.5 as mounted on the Samurai rims on the round, and closer to 26 accounting for the compression of the tire with weight on it. (on the fronts as there is more weight up there ordinarily...) -Yes, they have the proper amount of pressure in them.

Report on the Ohtsu AT4000's: I love them - Quiet, and great traction (getting up that hill was not a traction issue; it was usable power and AT slippage at low RPM's as it grunted down.)

Comment on right height in front:

I have my torsion bars set pretty high in front now. I started probably an inch high (from the PO' original cranking..) I will be letting that down about 1/2" as the height they are now give s harsh ride.- this is because their is almost NOTHING left for the tire to drop. The suspension NEEDS rebound in BOTH directions for a decent ride, and this ain't it...

I do not see this impacting ground clearance as the rear diff is still way lower than the front bottom plate clearance. However I did need to clear the tires to be able to do this...

[bushcat]

Does the Ford Aerostar spring conversion work on 2wd models?

[outlawmws]

Does the Ford Aerostar spring conversion work on 2wd models?


Look at posts 53 and 54?

[bushcat]

Look at posts 53 and 54?
I didn't know what exactly those posts were referring to. Whether it was a 4wd with 2wd torsion bars or what. I have an 84 cargo van 2wd with springs in the back. Going to order the same springs you ordered. Will this require the LSP valve to be relocated?

[outlawmws]

Same Q as you. I assume the earlier (pre 1987) 2wd vans used similar torsion bars if not the same.

The 2WD vans do ride lower, so you may get more effective lift from the springs than I did as I'd guess the stock springs on 2WD are shorter than the 4WD springs. I'm not sure of the changed the springs or the mounting to adjust rear ride height from 2WD to 4WD (the chassis ARE different, unfortunately. I have passed one several nice but DOA cosmetic 2WD vans that I'd have been happy to get, then use my rig as a donor for engine and 4WD gear...)

Yes you will need to adjust the LMS for height. I recommend measuring from the axle to a known point on the frame, before and after and make up that difference, it DOES matter. (I need to adjust mine a bit longer yet, the rears will lock up much earlier that the fronts still in wet weather... I did NOT measure first, so am guessing as I go...)

Also since you are raising a 2WD, measure the length of the drive shaft before the lift, and remeasure after. if it gets too much extension it could decouple as a possibility. (this happens on extreme lifts on 4WD rigs fairly routinely if not taken care of)

2" on the 4WD Tvan doesn't seem to be an issue. but you may get more lift...

[bushcat]

Thanks for info outlaw. I just received my Moog CC841 from RockAuto on clearance. I have a 1985 2wd cargo van. I'll take pictures along the way and post results.

My original? pads for the shocks are very brittle. Do you guys recommend adding a Mr gasket in its place?

[outlawmws]

You want a cushion there regardless of brand. metal to metal on a spring into a uni-body is a good recipe for the body cup to wear out.

You may need spring compressors, unless you release the control arms for more drop, and the shocks have to be loose as well. did you get longer shocks?

[bushcat]

You want a cushion there regardless of brand. metal to metal on a spring into a uni-body is a good recipe for the body cup to wear out.

You may need spring compressors, unless you release the control arms for more drop, and the shocks have to be loose as well. did you get longer shocks?


I didn't buy new shocks for the van. I will go ahead and order that mr gasket cushion.